Leaders who reveal a more personal side to them are viewed as more authentic. Establishing personal connections with the team helps everyone perform better and also function better as a collective unit.
But of course, going all TMI can also be detrimental since it ends up with managers inadvertently undermining themselves.
As a result, they either lose their team members’ respect and/or blur important boundaries in the process.
So, here are five helpful tips that can help you open up to your remote teams – without the risk of oversharing:
Identify Your Feelings
Never base any decision or action on feelings alone. Always regulate your emotions.
You can start by identifying your feelings so you’ll know how to manage them. For instance, don’t rush into a heated argument with a team member just because you feel your temper rising.
Instead of being reactive and hot-tempered, understand first where the anger is coming from. Is it really related to issues at work or performance? Or are you simply having a bad day and are raring to take it out on someone?
Take a few seconds (and perhaps a deep breath) to recalibrate yourself.
The same goes for positive emotions like happiness or excitement. Think very carefully about exactly how much you want to share with the team – and avoid making any promises when you’re all giddy as well.
Practice How To Share Your Emotions
Controlling your emotions is one thing. Sharing them is an entirely different beast.
Hence, expect that you can’t perfect this overnight and it’s likely to feel awkward at first. Fortunately, you can practice.
Try to use a template as a start. For instance, you can say:
“Because of ______, I’m feeling _____. So, here’s what I’m planning to do to make it better: ________. And this is how you can help: ________. What do you feel about this?”
Aside from being realistic, this formula provides a solution and also asks for a suggestion. In other words, you’re not just opening up but are also inviting a dialogue.
Read the Room
Online collaboration can be tough. However, good managers know when and how to make their remote workers feel less isolated.
If you think or observe that many of your teams are feeling anxious about a project or deadline, try to break the ice.
You can say something like, “Whew, this sure is stressful but I’m glad I get to do this with you guys.”
This simple sentence can help similar feelings surface and can invite the team to open up about such. It may also help if you can make room for some relaxation time after a project is completed to help improve everyone’s well-being.
Put Yourself In Their Shoes
How will you know if you’re oversharing?
A good indicator is the following question: “How would I feel if someone in authority said this to me?”
If you’ll feel grateful, then, by all means, say it. However, if it would make you cringe or feel awkward, it’s best to desist and err on the side of caution.
Though it can be a struggle to draw the line between sharing and oversharing, it’s something you can practice and improve on. Fortunately, your leadership journey doesn’t have to be lonely.
Remote Staff has been assisting Australian SMEs and entrepreneurs like you with skilled remote workers from the Philippines for the last 15 years and counting. Aside from hiring, we also help with onboarding and training and provide continuous support so your working relationship remains as harmonious as possible.
Call us today or schedule a call back and let’s get started.
Serena has been working remotely and writing content for the better part of the last decade. To date, she's written for Pepper.ph and Mabuhay Magazine, among others, and has churned out more than a thousand articles on everything from The Basics of Stock Market Investing to How to Make Milk Tea-Flavored Taho at home. Hermits, aspiring hermits, and non-hermits with interesting project propositions may email her at serena.estrella10@gmail.com.
